This exciting composition was written for Steve Houghton and Gordon Stout, after we taught together at the 2002 Ju Percussion Group Summer Percussion Camp in Taipei, Taiwan.

While eating lunch with the 250 students one day, someone gave me a drink, which turned out to be pearl milk tea, a local favorite. It is made from tea with milk and tapioca balls, and comes with a large enough straw so that the tapioca balls can be sucked up with the milk tea. Steve noticed that he could see the tapioca balls passing through the clear straw, and with each drink would declare incoming! Everyone thought that was really funny. I told Steve it would a great title for a composition, and that I would write a piece for the two of us with that title, and here it is.

Incoming was premiered at PASIC-2002 in Columbus, Ohio during a clinic/performance by Gordon Stout. His popular solo composition Wood That Sings was also premiered at that session. Incoming is a virtuostic composition for the two players, using the drumkit as a multiple percussion instrument. The drummer has the opportunity to improvise in different sections of the work, and requires the ability to solo in different and changing meters. It requires a five octave marimba and is about 8 minutes in length.